


Optimism

by Kaosunseen



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2013-09-30
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:58:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaosunseen/pseuds/Kaosunseen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn’t that things always had to be good, for him— he needed only the hope that things could one day get better, and that would make every day worth living. That was what Asbel meant to him, if he tried to put it in a few words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Optimism

**Author's Note:**

> one-word prompt for AO3 user Nienna~.

It wasn’t that things always had to be good, for him— he needed only the hope that things could one day get better, and that would make every day worth living. That was what Asbel meant to him, if he tried to put it in a few words.

“It’s alright, Richard. You’re okay, now…” Asbel breathed out, laying him down on the bed. They were both soaked, tattered, and dripping more with exhaustion than rain. After narrowly escaping a swarm of monsters on the trail they’d been walking through the woods, Asbel had to carry Richard to the nearest safe house he could find, a small cottage on the farthest outskirts of the capital. Even after he set the king down, checked him over for wounds, and settled down, Asbel wouldn’t leave his side for a moment, not even to take off his dirt-covered shoes.

“I know, Asbel, I know that...” Richard couldn’t help but smile. “I’m perfectly fine.” He tried to sit up, only to be shushed and eased back down by his friend.

“R-Rest, please. I’ll go find towels.” Asbel stood up immediately, going to a nearby closet. He pulled the door open so suddenly that a few towels toppled right out and onto his face. “O-Oof!” he fells back onto his rear, a  little embarrassed and more than a few shades redder in the face. “Sorry, uh…” he picked them up hastily, and brought one over to Richard, who had decided to sit up while he had the chance. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Richard laughed a little, wiping off his face, his hair, his hands. He looked down at his ankle, his brow furrowing slightly. “It’s a good thing I’m freezing... do you think my ankle is broken? I can’t quite feel it…”

“Richard, if you can’t feel it, I doubt that it’s broken. If it were _really_ broken, I think you would notice.” Asbel tried to be reassuring as possible.

“Right, of course." he chuckled. "So then, why did you think it would be the best option to carry me all the way here?”

Asbel’s face flushed. “W-Well, I... I had assumed you were in pain, Richard. Was I wrong?” _Oops…_

Richard laughed, picking up a clean towel and whacking Asbel over the head with it. “I’m just kidding, Asbel. Thank you for helping me, back there. I might have been trampled, if not for you.”

“It’s alright. That’s what I’m here for.” Asbel smiled a little. “Do you want me to see if I can find you a change of clothes?”

“I can do that much, Asbel.” Richard looked at him with a slightly teasing expression. “Unless you _want_ to, of course.”

“W-Well.” Asbel looked flustered, as both his moral compass and his feelings were ready to leap at the chance. “I don’t mind.”

“Oh?” Richard couldn’t deny he got a kick out of teasing Asbel. It was much too easy. “Sure. Go on ahead… I think if you go in that drawer, there might be...?” he pointed to the bottom right drawer of a nearby bureau.

Asbel opened it, and found a small white bathrobe. “Is… is this what you meant?” he held it up to Richard, and then realized just how short it was. _It’ll barely go down to his knees…_

“Ah, yes. I haven’t worn that for a long time.”

Asbel would pause to question why Richard had such a thing when he was younger, but considering Richard was a king, the question answered itself. “Do you… think it will still fit?”

“Sure. It’s all we have, either way. Aren’t there more? You can take one, too.”

“M-Me? Oh, well, sure. It’s better than being freezing cold all night.” Asbel laughed a little, picking up a matching robe from the drawer. He looked up and turned bright red, startled to see Richard already stripping. He turned away sharply.

“Hm?” Richard looked up at him. “Am I bothering you, Asbel?”

“N-No! No it’s fine, go ahead.” It wouldn’t the first time Asbel had changed in front of other boys. The Knight Academy had left him more than accustomed to the locker-room lifestyle, after rigorous amounts of training and no time to go change in the privacy of his own room. This only confused him more, because in theory. He should be perfectly fine watching his closest friend strip. In theory.

“… aren’t you going to change, too?”

“Oh, you’re right. I’ll do that. Should I just…?” he paused, unsure of what to do. If he went to the bathroom to do it, he might risk insulting Richard, as he’d been perfectly comfortable changing here. But if he didn’t…

“Hmm? I don’t mind, go ahead. I won’t look, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Richard chuckled. “You can trust me, Asbel.”

“Okay.” Asbel nodded, gingerly peeling off his water-drenched clothes. _I’m sure Richard has no reason to do that, anyway. And his manners are probably far better than mine…_

Not so much. Richard couldn’t help but steal a glance at Asbel’s form… well, truthfully, more than a glance. he let his eyes wander down every curve of Asbel’s pale, slender form. Surely, he had been taught better, but how often did a king get the chance to misbehave? Not very.

“Asbel, you know…” Richard yawned, trying to put it casually as possible, “you really are handsome.”

“I-I!” Asbel turned around suddenly, realizing Richard was looking at him. He blinked, noticing he’d just flashed him, and hurriedly covered himself with the bathrobe. “Uh, thank you, Richard…” he wasn’t sure how to go on. “… s-so are you, if you’re asking.”

“Asbel,” Richard pouted, “don’t tell me you thought I was just fishing for compliments. I’m being very sincere.”

“I know that, Richard… I know.” Asbel sighed, sitting next to him on the bed. “I know.”

“I know you know.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, both sitting next to each other on a slightly damp bed in bathrobes that didn’t fit, with heavy rain pounding against the cottage roof over their heads. Nothing was anywhere close to perfect, but Richard knew he wouldn’t have it any other way. It became a fairy tale simply because Asbel himself was in the room.

“Asbel… are you cold?”

“A little.” Asbel leaned back on his pillow, looking at Richard. "Why?” He could see some kind of suggestion glimmering in the king’s eyes, but wasn’t sure what it was.

“Well, this might help.” Richard nudged Asbel off the bed, who stumbled confusedly over.

“H-Hey…” he watched as Richard pulled back the sheets, and patted the surface of the bed. “Oh... you’re right.” Asbel laughed a little, slipping inside.

“There we go.” Richard smiled sweetly, tucking him in. “Much better...” he leaned in, and in a smooth motion, planted the smallest of kisses on Asbel’s lips. 

Asbel fell completely silent, eyes widening as he felt it— the most subtle warmth he knew and could ever remember, something he’d never had before that still had all the familiarity of summer sunlight and cozy winters by the fire. It was a seasonless feeling, one that he could feel echoing in forever, though only now.

When Richard realized what he had done, he pulled away. “Asbel, I…” he paused, looking away from him. “... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be so forward...” shame swelled red in his cheeks.

“N-No, it’s… it’s fine.” Asbel raised his eyebrows, pulling Richard in again. “Why did you stop?” he asked quietly. That was all the invitation Richard needed to kiss him again.

“M-Mm…” Asbel pulled Richard closer to him, tugging at the white bathrobe draped around his shoulders. He was glad to feel Richard sliding under the covers next to him, deepening the kiss as he moved. Asbel closed his eyes, opening his mouth wider. He wasn’t sure exactly how to tell Richard to go on, but figured that was a good place to start.

Richard took the hint, and slid his tongue into Asbel’s mouth, drawing out a moan from the redhead. He hiked one leg up against Asbel’s side, reaching a hand out and trailing it down his stomach. Asbel shuddered, pressing himself closer to Richard’s body in any way he could, closing the gap between them along with any gap for hesitation. There was no need for any formality, here— it was a simple pleasure Asbel felt privileged to indulge in. Nobody else would get to see Richard like this. Nobody would know about the way he held him, and twirled his fingers delicately through his locks of red hair while he kissed him. Nobody else would be able to breathe out his name and on the same breath, draw in the scent of his skin, his face, his body, and all these were things Asbel could _definitely_ get used to. 

“ _Mmph_ …!” Asbel let out a strained cry, as Richard touched a hand to his lower hips, then trailed inward from his thigh. He felt Richard hesitate, drawing little invisible circles with his index finger all across Asbel’s skin, making him twitch and moan and beg just to get more. Richard was more than likely enjoying himself, he assumed.

… and truth be told, he was absolutely loving it. Every one minute Richard spent touching Asbel made up for twenty spent outside in the pouring rain, dirty and lost and confused. Every inch of his warm skin reminded him of just how good things could be. And right now, they were _wonderful._ He started sucking softly on Asbel’s tongue, letting his hand slip farther in and touch his cock.

“ _M-Mm_ … _mmm_ …” Asbel couldn’t say much of anything, but if Richard had stopped to let him, he knew it still wouldn’t have been coherent. He moaned desperately, trying to get him to do more than just that. He never realized just how much he needed this until Richard offered it. _Richard… oh god… I…_ he felt Richard draw his tongue tighter and harder between his lips, slowly beginning to pump his arousal as he went. “ _Mmm!_ ”

Richard parted from the kiss, shocked as he felt Asbel reach down and touch him the very same way. He hadn’t expected this from him, considering Asbel was the sort of person who had to turn the other way or leave the room when he changed clothes. Pleasantly surprised, he buried his face in Asbel’s neck, kissing and sucking gently there. “ _Mm_ … _Asbel… ohh,”_ he closed his eyes tight, giving in to the need to thrust his hips into Asbel’s hand, making every motion more satisfying. “ _A-Asbel_ …”

“ _Richard_ … _aah_ …” Asbel could hardly keep his hand steady, between the hot lips on his neck and the hand steadily working him under the sheets. He felt that need, a heat in the pit of his stomach coming to a boil and urging him to let go. “R-Richard… I’m… I… _ohh_ …” he felt Richard pumping him harder, and moaned louder into the finish. “ _R-Richard!”_  

“ _Asbel!"_  Richard felt the name forced from his throat as he came. He breathed heavily, laying down a few more kisses across Asbel’s collarbone as his body slowed into a sweet, soothing exhaustion. He caught his breath, looking up to find Asbel doing the same. He stroked his hair, evening it out across his forehead. “Asbel… I love you…” he breathed. “I don’t think there’s any way to deny it, anymore.” He chuckled, kissing him on the cheek.

“I don’t think so, either.” Asbel smiled, laughing softly. “I… I love you too, Richard.” 


End file.
